Statement on the Confirmation of Joesph Martens, New DEC Chair of NY

"It is my pleasure to support the nomination of Joseph Martens as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Commissioner Martens appeared before the Senate Encon Committee and was passed out unanimously. During his hearing, Commissioner Martens took the time to answer each and every question presented to him, and I thank him for that. In the brief time I have known Commissioner Martens he has shown himself to be an open minded individual willing to work with anyone on issues affecting the stewardship of this great State. For these reasons, I strongly support the nomination of Joseph Martens as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation."

Joseph Martens will serve as Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation. Beginning in 1998, Mr. Martens served as President of the Open Space Institute, directing and overseeing land acquisition, sustainable development, historic preservation, and farmland protection. Previously, Mr. Martens served as Deputy Secretary to the Governor for Energy and the Environment from 1992-94. He has served as Chair of the Olympic Regional Development Authority and the Adirondack Lake Survey Corporation. Mr. Martens studied Resource Economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and received an M.S. in Resource Management from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry based out of Syracuse University.

Commissioner Martens said, "Governor Cuomo has been a steadfast advocate for environmental protection and I am proud to stand with him in that mission. The challenges we face will be many but the decisions that are made will be based on a simple principle – let's leave a cleaner environment for our children than the one we inherited."